Peter Grove

The People

Peter Grove

← People of the Society · on record 1999–2014

This is the Society’s own record of Peter Grove. A biography: Leather 2013 · In Their Own Words →

The Society’s records

Everything the Society’s own records say of Peter Grove: the offices held, the standings conferred, and the awards won. Where the records are silent, so is this part of the page.

In memoriam · 22 May 2015

A Fellow, Honourary Life Member and former President; died in Hamilton. The Spring 2015 newsletter (p2, p4) sends the Society's sympathy to his family and reprints his 2014 Life Membership photo, noting his biography ran in the Spring 2014 issue.

From Spring 2015, page 2.

Branch

Hamilton · member since 1998

Certification

Associate of the CSCL 2001
Fellow of the CSCL 2002
A contemporary account, newsletter 2002-summer pp2-3 (the 52nd Annual, Beacon Harbourside Resort, Jordan, Ontario), has Bill Whittingham, Chair of the Council of Fellows, presenting him his Fellow standing at the meeting; p7 captions his four Fellow pieces: a Ladies Carved Handbag, a Decorative Bowl with Large Rim, a Journal Book with Moulded Mask, and a Business Card Case with Hair on Calfskin.

He showed five pieces at Leather 2004, the Society's biennial juried exhibition at the Hamilton Public Library, 55 York Boulevard, 2-30 November 2004, with the Hamilton guild. He was one of the nine members whose work was shown in Leather 2013: Creative Versatility at the Woodstock Art Gallery, 12 January to 2 March 2013, each writing about their own pieces in the exhibition’s own pages. He showed five pieces at Leather 2000: Fifty Years of Leather Art, the Society’s exhibition in the Grand Hall Gallery of the Woodstock Museum, 466 Dundas St., 20 May to 17 June 2000 (Oval Desk Box - Natural; Oval Desk box - Burgundy; Texas Star Journal Book; Carved Cigar Tube Box; Leather Canteen, Dark Brown).

From Spring 2014; Leather 2013, Creative Versatility: the exhibition brochure, with the exhibitors’ statements; Leather 2004: Juried Biennial Exhibition, Hamilton Public Library, page 2; and Leather 2000: Fifty Years of Leather Art, Exhibition Programme, Woodstock Museum, page 3.

Served the Society as

President 2004–2006
Past President 2006–2008
1st Vice-President 2002–2003
Hamilton Branch President 2000–2002
Director 2008–2014
Workshops Committee 2012

Honours

Honourary Life Membership 2014
Presented with a framed certificate at the 2014 Annual, alongside David McPherson.

Awards

Best Carving 2010
Best Fellow 2006
Craftsman Ribbon 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012
Irva Ford Award 2007
Irva Ford Award for Best Moulded Leather 2002
Irva Ford Award for Best Moulded Leather Article 2004
Judges Special Choice Award 2008
Leather 2004 Honourable Mention 2004
Leather 2008 Honourable Mention 2008
Moore-Pearsall Award for Best Belt 2013
Salon Ribbon 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012
Wearable Award 2012
Weston Trophy Winning Piece 2003

Demonstrations given

Stamping tools demonstration 1999
49th Annual
From Summer 1999, page 6.
Tricks of the Leathercraft Trade (Friday evening demonstration) 2000
50th Anniversary Annual
From Spring/Summer 2000, page 4.
Resist Dyeing techniques (Friday evening demonstration) 2001
51st Annual
From Spring 2001, page 6.
Basket Weaving techniques (Friday evening demonstration) 2002
52nd Annual
From Summer 2002, page 2.
Basic Tool Use Workshop (with Lauchlan Harrison, Hamilton, 22 Nov 2003) 2003
Workshop, 2003
From Winter 2003–04, page 2.
Carving techniques (Toronto Branch workshop, 1 Oct 2005, traditional pattern) 2005
Workshop, 2005
From Autumn 2005, page 2.
Leather Tooling (demonstration) 2005
55th Annual
From Spring 2005, page 4.
Jewelry Workshop (with Paul Kitchener, The Leather Factory, Mississauga, 24 Feb 2008) 2008
Workshop, 2008
From Winter 2007–2008, page 1.
Sandal Making Workshop 2009
Workshop, 2009
From Winter 2008–2009, page 2.
Tool demonstration, from his own collection (Sunday morning) 2011
61st Annual
From Spring 2011, page 5.

Where this comes from

Life and work

From the biography Lauchlan Harrison wrote for the exhibition brochure of Leather 2013, the Society's show at the Woodstock Art Gallery. Other lines come from the sources named under each.

Background: As a 10-year-old boy he was introduced to leatherwork in the public school system. It was the beginning of a life-long passion.
From the biography “Leather 2013 · In Their Own Words”.; Tundra Leather's own company history gives his start in leatherwork as age 9, at a summer skills camp, rather than age 10 in the public school system as the Society's own record of him has it.
From Tundra Leather company history, reproduced on the Art Gallery of Hamilton shop page, https://shop.artgalleryofhamilton.com/products/agh-x-tundra-leather-made-in-hamilton, and the Society's own record of him.
Work: At the age of 21 he went to work for the Tandy Leather Company and started his own venture, Tundra Leather, his shop in Hamilton, Ontario, where his work was available for viewing and sale.
From the biography “Leather 2013 · In Their Own Words”.; In 1982 he started Tundra Manufacturing Incorporated as a part-time business; in 1991 he took over an existing Tandy Leather store in Hamilton and renamed it Tundra Leather; 2016 was Tundra's 25th anniversary on King Street, Hamilton.
From Tundra Leather company history (Art Gallery of Hamilton shop page), n.d., accessed 20 October 2026, https://shop.artgalleryofhamilton.com/products/agh-x-tundra-leather-made-in-hamilton.
Study: His use of carving as a leather decoration was formed by countless hours at the bench and by exposure to some of the best carvers in North America. When he returned from the Rocky Mountain Leather Show in 2000, he resolved to design his own Canadian style Sheridan carvings.
From the biography “Leather 2013 · In Their Own Words”.
Teaching: He led workshops and taught private classes.
From the biography “Leather 2013 · In Their Own Words”.

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